It was the final step in putting the issue on the ballot. It will cost about $15,000 for the special election, Superintendent Gregg Morris said.
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If approved by voters, the district would spend a total of $52.8 million to build a new elementary school across the street from Shawnee High School and renovate the high school. Possum, Reid and Rockway elementary schools would close. The 5.3-mill, 37-year issue would cost the owner of $100,000 home more than $15 a month.
The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission would pay about 30 percent of the costs of the new schools, about $15.6 million.
The district has three opportunities to receive guaranteed money from the state, Morris said. If it fails again, the district isn’t guaranteed the money, but could apply to the OFCC for help.
“The need is real,” Morris said. “We’re having more and more challenges in our own buildings. We’re spending a disproportionate amount of our budget just for Band-Aids to keep particularly the elementary buildings open … This is our guarantee, our chance to get this fixed.”
The board of education unanimously approved a resolution at a special meeting Tuesday. The last day to certify issues for the August election is Wednesday, May 10.
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Voters have turned down the issue twice — in November by 174 votes and last week by 113 votes. Some residents who don’t support the bond issue have said the community can’t afford to pay higher taxes, especially those in the Rockway school area. The bond issue failed at that precinct by more than the difference of the election.
Some social media posts from the Rockway area showed some residents there saying they had saved their school, Morris said. Regardless of what happens, the district must address the old buildings and decide how many are kept open, he said.
“We’ve got some serious discussions that will take place in the next month or so,” Morris said. “We’ll be ready to vote in August and hopefully we can accurately communicate the needs.”
The district must effectively communicate what will happen if the levy doesn’t pass, school board member Susan Page said. The discussion should include what will happen to each building, school board member Gary Barnes said.
“People need to maybe have a reality check about what’s going on here,” Barnes said. “We only have enough money to do certain things.”
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If the levy doesn’t pass, the district will still have to raise money to maintain its current buildings, which have several issues, including roof leaks and gas line repairs. Some classrooms at Reid School have buckets to catch water from roof leaks, school board member Judith Pierce said.
“It can’t continually happen,” Pierce said. “It’s just very disheartening.”
It would cost about $20 million to repair the buildings, Dehart said, but it wouldn’t be spread out over a 37-year period. Voters must decide if they want to repair or replace the buildings, he said. The average age of the district’s schools is 92 years.
“It’s the same money or a little more just to do the infrastructure, that doesn’t deal with technology or painting,” Morris said. “We’ve just got really difficult situations that continue to develop in these old buildings. We’ve got to understand what we’ll have if we just do the infrastructure. The buildings will look the same, but they’ll be dry and warm.”
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Township resident and real estate agent Jeff Harvey suggested the board hire a public relations firm to get their message out to voters, he said. They must understand how it will affect their pocketbook through decreased property values, he said.
The district must also partner with the township to build new homes and condominiums, Harvey said, making it more attractive to prospective residents. Many of his clients opt for other areas with new buildings, such as Northwestern Local Schools.
The board works well with trustees, Page said.
“We have a good working relationship,” she said.
The planned Kroger development on Ohio 72 is a good start, Harvey said.
“You may as well develop it the way you want it, rather than having an unplanned Bechtle Avenue,” he said. “You’ve got a real unique opportunity here, not just the schools but the township.”
By the Numbers
$52.8 million: The total cost for a new elementary school and to renovate Shawnee High School
$37.2 million: The cost to taxpayers for the new school and renovations.
$15.6 million: The total amount the state will pay for through the Ohio School Facility Commission.
Continuing Coverage
The Springfield News-Sun provides in-depth coverage of Clark-Shawnee Local Schools and every school district in Clark and Champaign County.
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